I am motivated by compassion and serving others. It is my "nature." I didn't choose it. It's who I am. The way to get my attention is by sharing the way you feel, especially your pain, and the needs you have. So, if you wanted me to help you move you could say, "Hey, Jonathan. The thought of moving is a huge drain for me and hurts my back. I really need some help!" That would cause me to jump into action for you.
Do you think what I just shared with you would cause you to interact with me better or worse in the future?
DOCTRINE #23: GOD'S IDENTITY
God is ALWAYS, COMPLETELY Right and ALWAYS, COMPLETELY Just. This is God's Nature. God cannot do anything apart from His Nature. God cannot have an effect for which He doesn't have a cause. God has choice within His Nature. The principles of right and just are causeless causes.
Question: Do you believe God's nature being Right and Just is limiting to your view of who He is?
Next Doctrine: Doctrine #24
Table of Contents
If you need it, here is the support from the Word of God...
SCRIPTURE
"1 Give ear, ye heavens, and I will speak; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain; My speech shall distil as the dew, As the small rain upon the tender grass, And as the showers upon the herb.
3 For I will proclaim the name of Jehovah: Ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
4 The Rock, his work is perfect; For all his ways are justice: A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is he." (Deuteronomy 32:1-4)
(Moses spoke face to face with God as a friend. Moses' last statement began with him making his most important point, and he wanted the entire earth to hear his words: God is Just and Right. Isn't it amazing that God is a God of FAITHfulness! Moses called God "The Rock" because His work is perfect. What is the definition of wisdom? We saw the following passages in Doctrine #18: Omnipotent...)
"1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal;
3 but in his own seasons manifested his word in the message, wherewith I was intrusted according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
4 to Titus, my true child after a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour." (Titus 1:1-4)
"17 Wherein God, being minded to show more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath;
18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us:
19 which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and stedfast and entering into that which is within the veil;
20 whither as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6:17-20)
(God cannot lie because He doesn't have the causes within His Nature. We learned with omnipotent that God cannot lie and tied it together with holy in the previous Doctrine. If God lied He would be unclean. Would it be right to lie? Would it be just to lie?)
"1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." (Genesis 1:1-3)
(God is the First Cause: He spoke and everything was created. God's causes would have to be causeless causes because they had to always exist. Right and just are causeless, there is nothing before them. These principles would exist even if nothing was right and just. It is like our math analogy: two plus two equals four regardless if you are correct or not, or even doing math.)
"20 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse:
21 because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened." (Romans 1:20-21)
(We saw this passage from Doctrine #16: God's Existence. We learned that order cannot be random and we can see God's power in the physical as an effect because He is spiritual. The following passage was a portion of another passage from the Doctrine of God's Existence...)
"16 for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;
17 and he is before all things, and in him all things consist." (Colossians 1:16-17)
(The visible things were made from a First Cause that was invisible. The physical is a WHAT: an effect, and knowledge. The spiritual is a WHY and HOW: causes, understanding and wisdom! A belief in something you can't see is called...?)
"3 Doth God pervert justice? Or doth the Almighty pervert righteousness?" (Job 8:3)
(God cannot pervert just and right. It is not in His Nature. Justice is an effect of just. Righteousness is an effect of right. A man violates that which is just and right, not God. If you justify yourself you are literally perverting justice. That's what it means to think like a man. Do you think that God can do everything? This verse showed two more things God cannot do! Maybe people want God to be a man like us? We will look at justice in the next Doctrine.)
"6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah 9:6-7)
(Jesus will rule with Just and Right and the effects are Justice and Righteousness. Jesus was the Holy One of God, His Son. His Identity would have to be the same as God's because He is fully God and fully man.)
"5 And a throne shall be established in lovingkindness; and one shall sit thereon in truth, in the tent of David, judging, and seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness." (Isaiah 16:5)
(Again, Jesus will seek Just and do Right. In some versions of the Bible, the word "right" was translated as judgment. The meaning of judgment was "a right decision," like having good judgment. Justice and rightousness are effects of causes: Just and Right. Right and just is the HOW/WHY, the cause.)
"4 For the word of Jehovah is right; And all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loveth righteousness and justice: The earth is full of the lovingkindness of Jehovah.
6 By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." (Psalm 33:4-6)
(God loves right and just. In order for God to love something, there would have to be something that came before love. Causes that God could direct His love towards.)
If God's identity is Right and Just, then what do you think it would look like for you, who share the mind of Christ, to think as God Thinks?
A lot of "christians" believe it is our "christian duty" to judge other people. Some "christians" call themselves "fruit checkers". This is man's wrong view of what it means to execute justice. How does God see it?
If you look below, you are going to see a massive amount of scripture speaking about right and righteousness, just and justice.
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE
"1 Give the king thy judgments, O God, And thy righteousness unto the king's son.
2 He will judge thy people with righteousness, And thy poor with justice." (Psalm 72:1-2)
"14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of thy throne: Lovingkindness and truth go before thy face." (Psalm 89:14)
"2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne." (Psalm 97:2)
"4 The king's strength also loveth justice; Thou dost establish equity; Thou executest justice and righteousness in Jacob." (Psalm 99:4)
"24 but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he hath understanding, and knoweth me, that I am Jehovah who exerciseth lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith Jehovah." (Jeremiah 9:24)
"5 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." (Jeremiah 23:5)
"15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." (Jeremiah 33:15)
"16 but Jehovah of hosts is exalted in justice, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness." (Isaiah 5:16)
(Those verses concerned God. Here were the verses concerning people...)
"3 To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to Jehovah than sacrifice." (Proverbs 21:3)
"19 For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." (Genesis 18:19)
"15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness unto all his people." (2 Samuel 8:15)
"9 Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because Jehovah loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do justice and righteousness." (1 Kings 10:9)
"14 And David reigned over all Israel; and he executed justice and righteousness unto all his people." (1 Chronicles 18:14)
"8 Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on his throne, to be king for Jehovah thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do justice and righteousness." (2 Chronicles 9:8)
"14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: My justice was as a robe and a diadem." (Job 29:14)
"23 Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out He is excellent in power; And in justice and plenteous righteousness he will not afflict." (Job 37:23)
"6 And he will make thy righteousness to go forth as the light, And thy justice as the noon-day." (Psalm 37:6)
"30 The mouth of the righteous talketh of wisdom, And his tongue speaketh justice." (Psalm 37:30)
"3 Blessed are they that keep justice, And he that doeth righteousness at all times." (Psalm 106:3)
"121 I have done justice and righteousness: Leave me not to mine oppressors." (Psalm 119:121)
"3 To receive instruction in wise dealing, In righteousness and justice and equity;" (Proverbs 1:3)
"9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and justice, And equity, yea, every good path." (Proverbs 2:9)
"20 I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice;" (Proverbs 8:20)
"5 The thoughts of the righteous are just; But the counsels of the wicked are deceit." (Proverbs 12:5)
"15 It is joy to the righteous to do justice; But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity." (Proverbs 21:15)
"9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, And minister justice to the poor and needy." (Proverbs 31:9)
"16 And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there." (Ecclesiastes 3:16)
"8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they." (Ecclesiastes 5:8)
"21 How is the faithful city become a harlot! she that was full of justice! righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers." (Isaiah 1:21)
"27 Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness." (Isaiah 1:27)
"7 For the vineyard of Jehovah of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for justice, but, behold, oppression; for righteousness, but, behold, a cry." (Isaiah 5:7)
"17 And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place." (Isaiah 28:17)
"1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice." (Isaiah 32:1)
"16 Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field." (Isaiah 32:16)
"5 Jehovah is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with justice and righteousness." (Isaiah 33:5)
"1 Thus saith Jehovah, Keep ye justice, and do righteousness; for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed." (Isaiah 56:1)
"9 Therefore is justice far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity." (Isaiah 59:9)
"14 And justice is turned away backward, and righteousness standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and uprightness cannot enter." (Isaiah 59:14)
"3 Thus saith Jehovah: Execute ye justice and righteousness, and deliver him that is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence, to the sojourner, the fatherless, nor the widow; neither shed innocent blood in this place." (Jeremiah 22:3)
"15 Shalt thou reign, because thou strivest to excel in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? then it was well with him." (Jeremiah 22:15)
"5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right," (Ezekiel 18:5)
"9 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute justice and righteousness; take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord Jehovah." (Ezekiel 45:9)
"9 Who is wise, that he may understand these things? prudent, that he may know them? for the ways of Jehovah are right, and the just shall walk in them; but transgressors shall fall therein." (Hosea 14:9)
"7 Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth," (Amos 5:7)
"24 But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." (Amos 5:24)
"12 Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? that ye have turned justice into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood;" (Amos 6:12)
"4 Therefore the law is slacked, and justice doth never go forth; for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore justice goeth forth perverted." (Habakkuk 1:4)
"5 Jehovah in the midst of her is righteous; he will not do iniquity; every morning doth he bring his justice to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame." (Zephaniah 3:5)
"26 for the showing, I say, of his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:26)
